Deepest Regret
by KurenoxArisaxx
Summary: When a case takes a turn for the worst, Kougami Shinya is forced to relive the most horrible moment in his life once more. Hints of Kougami x Akane. Cover image is by sasakura34 on twitter


**Disclaimer: Psycho Pass and its characters belong to Gen Urobuchi. I own NOTHING.**

* * *

 _They'll pay. They'll all pay._

The low roar of a car's engine could be heard speeding down a lone alleyway- one free of any street cameras or drones. The one and only route in the city the man behind the wheel could count on.

 _This isn't my fault. I'm not the one who's wrong..._

The dark colored vehicle creeped to a sudden stop upon approaching a large building. A tall figure stepped out and gazed upon the abandoned warehouse before him. It was clear just upon one look it hadn't been used by anyone in years. Though the insides were terribly dark and most likely filthier than anywhere the man had been before; right now, the fellow excitedly welcomed such a place.

Here he was free. Free from the stifling city that was constantly bombarded with technology of all kinds at every corner. There wasn't anywhere you could go in society these days without having one's face caught on camera. From street drones to hue checkers, none of that suffocating trash could be spotted here. He knew it wouldn't be long. They were coming for him. To pass on Sibyl's judgement, just because his mental state had deviated just slightly from regulation. His time was limited. His life an hourglass with the sand seeping out from several cracks in his broken self.

 _To hell with it,_ He thought- cold, empty green eyes twitching with anticipation, _I won't go out like this. Not like some rapid dog to be put down._

He had decided. He would fight his fate. Right or wrong, guilty or innocent- to hell with it all. It mattered not to the twisted soul anymore. All he cared about was escape. No matter what, he would have it.

Bleached white hair blew along with a passing, chilling wind as the figure proceeded into his place of sanctuary.

* * *

"Akiyama Takahiro, age 33. We have on record that the man has avoided a psycho pass screening for nearly two years now."

A black haired Asian man with glasses stood before a group of his colleagues, reading off a report from his watch. The man was known as Inspector Ginoza Nobuchika of the MWPSB. Beside him stood a young woman with brown hair- Inspector Tsunemori Akane.

"Two years, huh? Hey, I'd like to know the guy's secret for avoiding drones all that time. Could prove useful to me later on!" A man with orange hair wholeheartedly laughed, playfully bumping a woman with a black ponytail that stood next to him.

"Enough of your jokes, Kagari." Ginoza snarled at the foolish Enforcer who simply shrugged it thoughtless remark off. Green orbs fell back onto the holo screen displayed above his wrist, "The PSB apparently sent over another division over to this guy's house earlier today and of course, he was no where to be found."

"Big shock." The oldest member, Masaoka Tomomi, of the group chuckled in a gruff voice, "So then, Inspector...It's pretty clear what our objective here is."

Kagari nodded, holding back a yawn, "Yeah, so why not skip all this crap. We've heard it all before, you know."

"Because it's protocol, and Enforcers should keep their mouths shut when it's not their place to speak."

Akane frowned at Ginoza who was obviously becoming irritated by the minute, as he so very often did when Kagari or Masaoka added their two cents in these situations. The young detective gently touched her boss's shoulder, calming him down ever so slightly, "Sir, I don't think we should waste time getting upset over little things right now. The criminal was spotted close by, right? So, let's just focus on that..." Though she didn't look it, the twenty year old was nervous, speaking so upfront with his cold hearted superior before her that appeared to be almost glaring at her.

After a moment of quiet, Gino nodded and looked back to the group of hunting dogs, "Tsunemori's right. There's a district of old abandoned warehouses near here. An eye witness has called in, claiming they spotted the man in a black vehicle. He apparently entered one of them."

"Warehouse?" Kagari suddenly chimed in once more, his hazel eyes widening oddly, "The hell he go there for? I mean, yeah, it's a place he can hide out in but he's not gonna make it very far. I mean, there's probably nothing..."

"If you'd shut your mouth for two seconds like I already told you, I was about to explain..." The temperamental male's eyes wandered over to the one person of the group who hadn't added anything to the conversation yet. Gino furrowed his brows when the two of them locked eyes, silently urging his former partner to continue from where he left off, "Or would you care to, Kougami?"

Said man sighed as he removed the cigarette he'd been smoking from his mouth and crushed it in his fist, "The warehouses were originally used to store some of the parts that made up our previous police drones some ten years ago or so. While they're may not be much in there, I'm sure the crook's thinking he can hijack an old model for protection." Kougami ran figures through his raven colored spikes, "At least, that's the theory, considering the man did work at a drone factory."

"Well this just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it." Kagari groaned, kicked his foot upward in annoyance, "Hey Gino, tell me we at least get overtime pay for this."

Not even paying attention to Kagari's sarcastic personality anymore, Gino walked over and opened the giant case carrying their weapons. After a moment, dominators were displayed sticking out of the box- one for each of them.

"We're going to split into two groups," After accessing the user authorization on his gun, the Inspector looked towards Akane who was wielding her own weapon, "I'm sending with you Masaoka and Kagari this time, Tsunemori. Kougami and Kunizuka, you're with me. I'll need you two since we're covering the largest area and the three of us can cover more ground far quicker than..."

Gino's voice seemed to fade into the background as the new team formation sunk into Inspector Tsunemori.

Akane's eyes widened just barely as she heard his words repeat over and over in her head. She wasn't sure why but she felt...unsure about this new arrangement. Strangely nervous. Up to now on every other case, Ginoza had insisted Enforcer Kougami go with her anywhere she went. Especially when catching a criminal of this caliber. But not this time. The brunette knew she shouldn't care who go with her during a case- that was irrelevant so long as the end result is still the same. So then why did she feel this way?

The amateur detective unconsciously tightened the grip on her dominator's handle. A small lump suddenly formed in the back of her throat as she tried to nod in agreement, but failed.

"...Is something wrong with my suggestion, Inspector?" Gino's tone was as cold as ice when he noticed the uncharacteristic hesitation in the young lady.

"N-No sir. I'm..." Akane's chocolate colored eyes that had been trembling at the sight of her angry overseer drifted towards the figure of Kougami Shinya for a brief moment. When Kou's eyes caught with her's, Akane clenched her teeth and gathered her courage. Taking a deep breath, she replied calmly,

"I understand. Me, Kagari, and Masaoka will take the warehouses in the middle."

Gino nodded as he proceeded over to one of the two bureau's vehicles they had brought along, "Good. Kougami and Kunizaka- we're checking out the front warehouses. It's the largest area in the warehouse district so keep on your toes." The young Asian looked back to Akane's team, "If you find our culprit, you know what to do."

The group scattered, splitting up to their assigned posts. Among them, Akane stood still just as she felt the bad boy detective she hadn't been able to figure out since day one of her job, walking towards her. Her earlier feeling of uneasiness swiftly returned without warning as it felt to her like time stopped right then- Kougami's figure passing by her without so much as a word.

 _Why did I hesitate like that?_ Akane bit her lip, focusing her senses on the sounds of Kougami's footsteps that were drifting further and further away from her, _It's childish to be picky at a time like this._ _  
_

Unbeknownst to Akane, The pokerfaced Enforcer's footsteps came to a complete stop. Crystal orbs as blue as the ocean fell onto the figure of the hunched over Inspector just a few feet away from him.

Akane suddenly heard Kagari call out to her but she drowned his voice out with more of her uncertain thoughts, _I need to get my act together. It doesn't matter that things are a little different from all the other cases I've worked on so far. Whatever happens, I just need to focus on my job, like Ginoza said._

"Hey."

Also ignoring the deep voice coming from behind her, Tsunemori nodded to herself as she tried to reel back her confidence, _That's right, this is my job. There's no time to be picking-_

"Oi Inspector."

Akane's shoulders shot upward as she spun around, the voice finally catching her full attention. The tall build of the very person she'd just been thinking of now stood only a few feet away from her.

"K-Kougami-san? What are you-"

"You look nervous. That's not like you." Shinya could see the beads of sweat slowly dripping down the pale Inspector's face. He held back a sigh, understanding this was still only about her fourth or fifth case. Any amateur would be nervous, for whatever reason.

Akane tried to force a smile, waving her hand in denial, "I'm not really nervous. I just..." But she couldn't complete her thought. Not to the Enforcer she, for some odd reason, didn't wish to be separated from.

"It's understandable why you'd be anxious about a case like this- especially considering we're splitting up in such a big space. However," Kougami turned back towards the vehicle Ginoza was waiting outside of, glaring at him from a distance, "Just take a deep breath and focus on what needs to be done. You have decent instinct so use it and don't worry about anything else."

With that, Kougami returned back to Shepard 1 and climbed into his transport.

Akane felt her heartbeat calm down at last. It was just like the other cases before. All it ever took to encourage the new detective was a word or two from the ever so experience hurting dog Kou.

Not wasting any more time, Akane turned on her heel and returned to her team waiting for her.

* * *

 _I won't forgive them. None of them. The PSB is going to regret everything they've done to me...  
_

The sound of fingertips typing away at keys echoed rhythmically in the dark space where the criminal Akiyama Takahiro stood. The only light in the room was that from the comp screen in front of him that showed various old blueprints and files from the old robots stored around in the other warehouses in the area.

With each passing second, Takahiro's eyes grew more wild with his burning hatred that was overwhelming him. He could just feel it. The PSB would be coming for him at any moment. But unlike other criminals in such a situation, he would be prepared when the hunting dogs came knocking on his door.

 _For the past...and for the present. I'll make them all feel the same agony I have._

The man's fingers ceased at its excessive plowing away at the keys. On the screen reflected Takahiro's emotionless, dead eyes. Eyes like a fish's almost. His mouth was twitching at the corners as his breathing deepened.

 _This whole system...will pay._

 ** _-Flashback-_  
**

 _"Mom, I'm home!"  
_

 _A young boy of about ten entered his home casually just like any other day. Throwing down his backpack, the child stripped his shoes and threw them near the doorway of the small apartment._

 _"Mom?"_

 _When there was still no answer from his caretaker, the boy frowned deeply. Odd. His mother was always there to greet him when he got home. Why was today different?_

 _The ten year old proceeded further in, looking in each room as he did so. Finally he made it to the kitchen where a lone crouched figure could be seen in the darkest corner of the room._

 _The reflection of a trembling woman with messy dark hair falling over her face reflected in the child's green orbs._

 _"...Mother? What's the matter?"_

 _The boy stepped forward, reaching out to the distressed female. He'd never seen his loving, kind mother so shaken up. She was usually so calm and collected. Nothing could ever upset her, nor cloud her perfectly clear hue. At least, not until now.  
_

 _It was then that the kid caught sight of an empty alcohol bottle laying on the floor a few inches away from his mother. A very small pool of the beverage surrounded the tip of the bottle._

 _"I can't take anymore...no more...no more...no-"_

 _The broken whispers of the woman were suddenly drowned out by the loud knocking sounds. The boy's mother jumped up in a panic and without warning, pushed her son to the floor as she grabbed a knife off one of the kitchen counters._

 _"M-Mom, what's..." The boy groaned, his head throbbing slightly from where it had just hit the floor.  
_

 _A voice unfamiliar to the small boy called out from outside the complex, "Open the door! MWPSB!"_

 _"MW...?" The boy wondered aloud, a sick feeling growing in the pit of his stomach as he looked from the doorway to his mother who was gripping the knight in what looked to be an attacking position._

 _"GO AWAY!" She screeched at the top of her lungs, backing up to the kitchen wall._

 _Before the kid could call out to her again, the sound of the front door being smashed open could be heard following several pairs of footsteps stomping through the living room and into the kitchen._

 _Both the mother and son's eyes widened incredibly at the sight of six strangers standing before them, all holding out large guns that glowed with a bright turquoise light._

 _"Akiyama Mitsuko, under the suspicion of avoiding a street scanner for nearly two years, we demand to see your psycho pass!" Shouted one of the men in suits._

 _The lady known as Mitsuko let out an almost animal like growl as she began swinging the kitchenware in her hand around like a madman, "NOOOOO...!"_

 _"M-Mo..." Was all the boy could choke out between the beads of tears streaming down his ghost colored face. What was happening? The child had never seen anything like this before. Who were these random people bursting into their home and causing his dear mother such horror? Why was this happening? So many questions and not a logical answer to be found._

 _However, things were about to become far worst than what the boy could have ever imagined._

 _In sync, all of the people aimed their guns at Mitsuko. The gun glowed brightly as it suddenly became bigger and more dangerous looking._

 _"IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" Mitsuko choked, jumping forward as she darted towards one of the men, "I never did anything wrooonnggg...!" Just as the knife was about to make contact with the man, the sounds of triggers being pulled and shots firing made time seem to stop for the young boy._

 _Everything around him seemed to turn black and white at that instant as the figure of Mitsuko distorted and grew until her skin was tearing apart at the seems and blood began spewing out. After a moment, organs flew into the air and all that was left of the woman were her legs._

 _"All clear, sir." Said one of the PSB Inspectors, turning to his partner._

 _"Good work." The boss said then turned to the boy who looked...surprisingly calm now, "Hey kid. We're gonna take you in for some therapy."_

 _The hand of the man gripped the kid's shoulder. The very same hand that had just pulled the trigger that ended his mother's life in less than five seconds._

 _It was at that very moment that the boy felt something awaken deep inside him. A voice in his deep consciousness called out to him from the darkest recesses of his shattered mind,_

 _The MWPSB...I'll never forgive them._

 ** _-End Flashback-_**

"I'll show them. I'll show them all." Takahiro gritted his teeth painfully as he recalled a time he wish he could forget but knew he had to remember. Recalling something so horrible would give him the strength he needed to do what needed to be done. The moment he realized his psycho pass was beyond saving was the same moment he swore- he would never die such a pitiful death like his mother did.

Not only that, but he would get his revenge. No one had any right to rob him of his mother. And he knew it wasn't just him. The Sibyl system had ruined countless lives over the many years since it had been established. Children lost their parents. Parents lost their children. Lovers, siblings, friends- everyone had had someone taken from them far too soon. And all by the system's lapdog known as the MWPSB.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. What gave any human being the right to come in a shoot someone just because of their mental state?

"This whole system is wrong. It needs to be corrected. And I'll be the one to start that process." Takahiro typed away at the computer again, accessing the old security cameras placed outside of the warehouse. Two camera recordings immediately caught his eye. A disturbing smile crept up the middle aged man's face as he saw the figure of a young woman wearing a PSB coat and what appeared to be two Enforcers.

After hitting a big button on the keyboard, Takahiro stood up and made his way towards the doorway. In his hand an unidentifiable object could be seen shining brightly in the small bit of sunlight that was creeping inside the building from the crack in the doorway before him. Sliding his thumb down the side of the object, a clicking sound was heard and a small but sharp blade appeared. Peering into the metal, the criminal grinned excitedly.

Now...he knew exactly where he could start with his revenge.

* * *

"Holy crap, Gino wasn't kidding," Kagari looked like a kid in a candy store, completely baffled by all the rundown buildings surrounding them, "This place is big as hell."

"The perfect place for any lone criminal wanting to avoid street scanners and the like to hide." The oldest Enforcer Masaoka added with a tired sigh. It was clear this was going to be quick the goose chase with so many things to explore.

Akane was the last of the three to exit the car. The young woman quickly analyzed the area before here. There were a total of four warehouses on their side. If they split up, they could cover more ground faster. But if what Kougami had said before was right and old drones from the past were stored here, the group would be in for a heap of trouble if their wanted man made it a point to inact war on them with the robots.

The Inspector thought a moment before she was interrupted by the sound of her watch going off. Seeing the picture of her boss on the screen, she hit the answer call button.

"We've arrived at our location. What's your status, Inspector Tsunemori?"

"We're here." Akane nodded, looking towards Kagari and Masaoka who were waiting for further instructions, "How should we proceed, sir?"

"You guys have the smallest area to cover," Gino looked to the eight warehouses standing in front of him, "Cover as much as you can as fast as you can. Lest we let that bastard escape again."

"Understood." Akane hit the end call button and informed the Enforcers.

"So split up, eh?" Kagari playfully tapped the tip of the dominator against the back of his left shoulder, "Then I'll take the first and second warehouses."

Agreeing to take the third one, Masaoka turned to his superior, "Meanwhile, why don't you check out the last one, little missy."

With a nod, Akane agreed that their meeting place afterwards would be the vehicle. With luck, each warehouse should only take about ten to twenty minutes. If anything happened, the detectives were to use their communication devices to call for backup.

"Don't die, guys!" Kagari shouted jokingly as he proceeded inside the building.

Masaoka snorted, shaking his head. Akane joined him with an awkward smile. Just then, as Tsunemori was turning to leave, Masaoka suddenly called out to her,

"Hey missy, don't get yourself into trouble, you hear?"

Akane rose a brow at the old man, confused by the sudden outburst, "Huh...?"

Tomomi scratched the back of his head, searching for the right words. While he hadn't been working with the young lady too long, there was one thing he noticed about her when it came to these cases. It was something that she and Enforcer Shinya Kougami shared in common, though Masaoka seemed to be the only one who realized it yet.

"Just call for one of us if you spot the guy or find something, ok?" The man gave a firm grip to Akane' shoulder with his prosthetic hand, "Don't try to do anything crazy on your own."

"Got it..." Akane's voice trailed off as she nodded and turned to the last warehouse.

Masaoka stood there for a minute, watching the girl's back fade further into the distance. Once she was completely out of sight, the Enforcer's frown deepened greatly. His gut instinct had been screaming at him to suggest the group not split up in the first place, but he knew this way was the most logical explanation for the case. Regardless, his uneasy feeling wouldn't subside. He only prayed his bad feeling would go unanswered by the end of this case.

"I think I'm getting too old for this job..." Was the last thing the elderly man grumbled before submitting to realty and running towards his location.

* * *

"This place is legit disgusting." Kagari exclaimed, wrinkling up his nose and squinting his eyes. Everywhere he looked he could see spider webs, dust, dirt, broken glass...all kinds of filth. Old crates were stacked on top of each other on each side of the dark room. Not to mention the several old drones that rested next to some of the crates, just as Kougami had informed. Though it didn't look like it at all anymore, these old buildings really had been used for robot storage at one point in time.

The boyish Enforcer only hoped that these drones were as run down as the warehouses themselves so their criminal wouldn't become even more of a pain in the ass by activating one or two of them.

 _We need to hurry up and catch this guy. I'm already tired of this case._

Reaching down at his watch, the hunting dog tapped a button and a bright color was displayed, serving as a convenient flashlight. Shuusei waved his wrist around, looking at all the nooks and crannies in between the various boxes and such, making sure nothing or nobody was hiding inside.

After another few minutes of thorough searching, Kagari called his teammates over his communication device,

"Hey, the first warehouse is empty. Not even a mouse in here. Hound 4 is moving on to check the next one."

"Understood." Came Akane's voice in reply.

Kagari let out a sigh and headed out for his next destination.

* * *

"This is Hound 1. This warehouse is clear too. Heading back out." Masaoka's gruff voice broke through in the eerie silence as he too made his way outside where the air was far cleaner and breathable than in this stuffy place.

As soon as he was outside, Masaoka caught sight of Kagari standing by their transport vehicle outside. The fellow hunting dog decided to go greet the twenty year old,

"Hey, done already?"

"Yup," Kagari cupped his hands behind his head, "Already checked out the second one too. Not a damn thing in either one."

"So all that's left is the little missy." Masaoka turned to look back at the final warehouse. He instantly recalled his uncomfortable feeling from earlier and unconsciously grunted, almost as if he were pained.

Kagari tilted his head, a smirk twisting upon his childlike face, "What''s wrong, Pops- back aching?"

"Funny." Was all the man retorted before crossing his arms and leaning his back up against the vehicle's front end. When Masaoka said nothing more, Kagari could feel an awkward tension forming and didn't like it one bit.

"Uh, so why so serious all of a sudden?" A bead of sweat was beginning to form on Shuusei's face.

Masaoka shook his head dismissively, "Nothing, I just..." The fifthy four year old ruffled his hair in frustration, annoyed he couldn't shake this terrible feeling that seemed to be only getting worst by the minute, "Listen, instead of standing here like bumps on a log, let's go do our jobs and help the Inspector with that last warehouse."

Kagari held back an aggravated moan and went along with Tomomi quietly. On the bright side, if they did this extra work, hopefully the case would be over that much quicker.

* * *

The gentle taps of Akane's slow paced footsteps could be heard as she treaded carefully in the unfamiliar place. Both of her hands were tightly gripping the dominator. So much so that she could feel her knuckles turning white with each second.

This was her first time investigating a place such as this by herself. It was hard to see, even with the flashlight displayed by her watch. Not to mention, the light given off wasn't all that big in the first place. Though it was better than nothing. Still, all alone with no other noise but the sounds of her own breathing and footsteps was enough to set the amateur detective more than on edge.

 _If the criminal is in here, then..._ The pale skinned woman swallowed a tickle in her throat, feeling some sweat form on the back of her neck, _All I have to do is pull the trigger. The dominator can do the rest._

Akane came to a halt when she suddenly recalled something Kougami told her some time ago while she watched him train against the fighter drone at the bureau,

 _"A person should always be stronger than the weapon they're holding."_

The corners of her lips twitched as she felt her chest clench slightly. It had been a few weeks, but Akane still wondered what was Kougami's basis for telling her that. She may be new to the job but it was clear to Akane that dominators would always be there to help when need be. Especially against a criminal like the one she was chasing after now.

The man had already been dubbed a latent criminal. Once the gun is aimed at him, it's all over. So there was no reason to take the serious Enforcer's words so literally...right?

 _Besides, Inspector Ginoza warned me not to think too much into any of what the Enforcers tell me- otherwise my crime coefficient might rise..._ Akane couldn't help but smirk at her own thought though, _Then again, my hue never clouds, so maybe I don't have to worry._

Taking a deep breath to calm her jittery nerves, Akane turned a corner around one of the large crates surrounding the interior of the building. She decided to stop thinking about Kougami or anything he'd said to her for the time being. All that mattered right now was focus. Both on the job and keeping on her toes in case her warehouse decided to be the one hiding Takahiro.

Ten minutes later, Akane had still found nothing. There weren't even any drones in this particular storage unit, not to mention the criminal from the looks of things. There were no signs at all of anyone entering. Even scanning for foot and fingerprints came up empty on her watch when she analyzed her surroundings. Eventually, Akane came to what appeared to be a dead end.

The Inspector let out a tired sigh, making the decision to leave and rendezvous with her team. If neither her nor Kagari or Masaoka hadn't found anything than Gino's team were the ones at risk. Knowing that, Tsunemori had to return as soon as possible.

Making a b-line for the entrance way, Akane's chocolate orbs unknowingly zipped past a strange light illuminating behind one of the large boxes placed inside. Her eyes returned slowly back to the bright color seeping out above a crate. How strange. There was no equipment in here that was powered up from what she had seen before. Hell, the entire area shouldn't have even had power, according to the report from Gino regarding the area since it had been long since abandoned by the city years ago.

Now Akane's curiosity was more than peeked. Her thin arms brought the dominator defensively out in front of her as she slowly approached the odd light. The twenty year old's body began tensing up the closer she got. What would be behind there? Would it be the criminal? Would she have to shoot? Or was this a trap? Thoughts of calling her team crossed Akane's mind more than once as she walked over but she knew that would take too long. Especially if they were still investigating themselves. No, this was up to her.

Inspector Tsunemori could handle whatever was waiting for her. The dominator would protect her. That is the final conclusion Akane came to as she reached the corner of the crate, where on the other side, the light glowed brightly.

 _I'll count to ten and then jump out..._ Akane decided, steadying her breathing calmly. After doing just that, Tsunemori felt her feet move on their own and she swiftly threw herself around to the other side. Aiming the dominator right at the light, her face fell a little at what she saw.

The source of the light was the laptop was sitting upon an old dusty table. On the screen was a file pulled up. It was a picture of a smiling mother and her son sitting upon her lap.

The detective's arms fell down, feeling her nerves shut down at the anticlimactic display before her.

"Really, that's all...?"

It hadn't even occurred to Akane to question why a powered up laptop was in an abandoned warehouse. However, that wasn't the only thing she failed to notice. Unknown to the naive little detective, a tall shadow was peering out at her from a tight crack between two old power generators.

* * *

"Her jacket...says public safety bureau..."

Gross, cracking chuckling just barely audible to the human ear came from the figure of the wanted latent criminal Akiyama Takahiro. Tsunemori Akane's back reflected brightly in the disturbed fellow's large pupils, trembling with utter anticipation. In his hand was a long metal object. The ends with little hook shapes them. The rust on the item pinched the palms of his hands, his grip tightening on it. A big smile broke out on his face when he noticed Akane turn around, giving him a perfect look at the young Inspector's face.

"Heh...hehehe...she's one of them..." Akiyama imagined the image of his mother exploding before his very eyes as he stepped forward, unable to wait any longer, "I'll start...with her."

* * *

Akane looked back at her watch, checking the time. It was already past when she and the others agreed upon to meet back up.

 _I'd better get back before Kagari and Masaoka-san become restless._

The female investigator let her hand holding her dominator rest at her side, deciding it was safe to do so since the warehouse was empty. As she proceeded back towards the exit, Akane couldn't help but let her thoughts wander, completely letting any guard she had up disappear like a mid autumn breeze.

 _Not only that but Ginoza will be angry if I take too long..._

Though she was thinking of her boss, the face of Kougami Shinya appeared clearly in her mind. She was curious to know how his investigation was going. Had he found a clue no one else could as usual and was already in the process of apprehending the criminal? Or perhaps he too had come up empty. Or what if he and the criminal were fighting at this very moment and...

Akane's footsteps ceased as a disturbing thought crossed her mind. One in which she would have rather been better off without thinking of in the first place.

 _Knowing Kougami-san, he'd put himself into any level of danger if it meant catching this guy..._ The short haired woman bit her lip at the image of a battered and beaten bloody Kougami laying on one of the floors of the warehouses.

"Wait..." Akane crazily shook her head as if trying to toss the thought from her brain, "There's no way a skilled and experienced fighter like Kougami-san would lose to a guy like this. I mean, Akiyama Takahiro is just a drone factory worker..." It was too hard for Tsunemori to imagine the man to be equally as powerful as Shinya.

Though it was in that moment a stranger thought crept into the young maiden's mind than that of Kougami getting his ass kicked by a mere citizen,

 _Wait, why am I even thinking about Kougami at a time like this?_

What did he have to do with anything right now? Shinya wasn't on her team this time around, so he's the last thing she should have been thinking of.

The girl's tiny eyebrows furrowed downward, her expression souring greatly. Irritated with herself, Akane continued on her way while she attempted to dismiss her previous thoughts. She had to get her focus back. Like Kougami told her at the beginning, all she had to worry about was keeping her eye on the investigation before her.

Without warning, the loud ringing of a call incoming sounded from the pokerfaced girl's device on her wrist, breaking her away from her thoughts. Looking at it, Masaoka's name was displayed.

"I knew I was taking too long..." Akane went to press the answer call. However, as her finger moved towards the holo, a dark shadow loomed from a few feet behind, completely silent and hidden from her view.

As her fingertip was a mere inch away from hitting the button on the screen, it was then that Akane suddenly felt as if an earthquake was hitting. The room instantly shook violently. So crazily that she felt an overwhelming dizziness hit her like a ton of bricks shortly after. Soon following that, the naive brunette felt an agonizing burning sensation on the back of her head extending down to the middle area of her neck. Her chestnut orbs rolled upward as her legs gave away, falling to her knees in what felt like slow motion.

"A-Ah..." Akane moaned painfully as she fell face first into the cold floor. A warm, sticky liquid streamed down the side of her head and soon formed a small puddle around her check and temple pressed against the pavement. Her eyes became so terribly unfocused. The stinging pain of her twisting vision was enough to make the PSB member sick with intense nausea as agony streamed throughout every part of her being. All the while, Akane desperately struggled to figure out just what the hell was happening.

As the Inspector laid there, confused and with her consciousness slipping away fast- a figure loomed over the sight of the bleeding woman.

Bending down, the shadow placed something cold and hard up against Akane's cheek. She felt the tip of the weapon sink into her skin just so much so that the rust could give her a slight cut. The injured female's eyes caught sight of one thing as she lost all her senses and gave into the pain- the wildly insane grin of Akiyama Takahiro.

* * *

"That's strange."

Shuusei looked back to the older man walking behind him who was busy peering at his watch as if he were puzzled about something.

"What is it?" Kagari looked at the doorway to the fourth warehouse in front of the two of them. The boyish hunting puppy recalled Masaoka mentioning something about radioing the Inspector to confirm if her investigation had concluded, "Did you get a hold of her?"

"No, that's just it-" Tomomi looked up, his pupils burning with concern for the young woman, "I got a hold of her, yes, but...it cut off the second after she answered it..."

Masaoka waited a moment before continuing. That detective instinct of his was screaming at him once more. Far louder than what it had earlier. Something was wrong. The old man could just sense it. It was hard to explain to somebody who didn't follow their gut when it came to investigations like him, but Tomomi would bet his life on this. His worst fear had come true.

"Do me a favor- try calling her from your device."

Kagari nodded and whipped out his watch. He waited a few moments while the call went through. However, instead of an answer, the voice of Sibyl rung out on his screen,

"The user you are trying to reach has either turned off their device or can not be reached at this time."

"The hell?" The twenty year old tapped at his watch, tapping his foot in annoyance, "Is the signal being jammed?" Kagari shot a look back at Masaoka, "Why the crap would she be dumb enough to turn off her communications during an investigation like this!"

"It's not that she turned it off..." Masaoka picked up his pace and grabbed the handle to the warehouse's doors, "I think...it may be because she **can't** answer it."

Kagari felt his breath catch as Tomomi tore open the door with incredible force.

* * *

A strong wind blew across the area, sending a chill up Inspector Ginoza who stood next to his team's transportation as he awaited for the hunting dogs return.

So far their investigation had come up empty- with no sign of Akiyama. For a moment, the megane wearer pondered if maybe their call-in witness had either been a prank or got their information wrong. If the criminal was still in the area, he found it hard to believe they hadn't spotted him yet. True, it was a large location but they had drones stationed at every corner of this place. There's no way the mentally unstable crook could make a run for it or slip under their noses without passing one of their robots- even if he did have some knowledge of how the equipment worked.

Gino glanced down at his clock impatiently. It was then that both Kougami and Yayoi returned.

The serious detective crossed his arms, hoping to hear what he wanted so this case could end already, "Find him?"

"No," The female Enforcer began, shaking her head, "Not a thing."

"We checked those warehouses from head to tail, Gino." Shinya reached into his pocket, reaching for a pack of spinels, "Our perp hasn't been here. Almost positive of it."

"And what, is that your so called 'detective intuition' telling you that?" Ginoza let out a huff when the putrid stench of cigarette smoke stung against his nostrils, "Oh, never mind."

Increasing his distance from his ex-partner, Ginoza proceeded to his only option left before him- call the others and pray they had succeeded where Shepard 1 and his hounds could not.

It was just as Ginoza was pulling up Masaoka's name that a call from said person came ringing through.

"Report, Hound 1." Gino knew one thing as he awaited an answer- they were screwed if team 2 didn't find Akiyama.

"Yeah, we, uh..." Masaoka's voice trailed off, a hint of distress in his voice, "We got a major problem over here, Shepard 1."

Gino's expression immediately darkened at the uncharacteristic panic he heard in the man he had always known to be calm and collected, no matter how dire the situation. After a moment of hesitation, the temperamental investigator choked out the question that was burning strongly in his mind, though he was almost afraid to ask, "What is it...?"

Even the emotionless Enforcers Kou and Yayoi couldn't ignore the situation when they heard a crack in Gino's voice at the end of his sentence.

Masaoka clenched his fist tightly, gathering the courage to explain the horrid sight that was before him.

"...It's regarding Inspector Tsunemori."

Kagari got down on his knees in front of Masaoka. His face was covered in sweat and every part of his face trembling with anger. The young latent criminal reached out and touched the bright red stain on the ground. Among the liquid a watch could be seen. The device looked all too familiar to the members of the public safety bureau.

Masaoka took a deep breath as he watched Kagari scan the blood for analysis. When the watch identified who the blood belonged too, both hunting dogs eyes became glazed over with fear. At this point, the old man couldn't help but nearly scream out their findings,

Ginoza's lips slowly parted in shock as the next works spoken hit him like a truck. Behind him, even the normally pokerfaced Yayoi couldn't help contain her bewildered emotion at the revelation.

Then there was Kougami Shinya. His gut had dropped to his feet in a matter of seconds, feeling as if he'd just been punched **hard.** The spinel that had been residing in his mouth fell to the ground. As ash hit the pavement at his feet, Kougami's face paled to that of a ghost's. His eyes nearly bulging out of his skull as his pupils grew small. The former Inspector felt an all too familiar sense of overpowering terror growing within him. He had felt this once before. Back when Sasayama had gone missing years ago.

Unable to accept what he'd just heard, Gino asked Masaoka to repeat himself. When the following words pounded against Kougami's eardrums again, all the air seemed to leave him in an instant,

"We've just found Shepard 2's communication device in a pool of fresh blood. We checked and it's definitely belongs to Akane."

Gino tried to get out a "What?" but no words would come. All sense of speech had left him at this point. Masaoka then added one last thing before the mood became more intense than it ever had before for division 1 of the MWPSB,

"Inspector Tsunemori...she's been kidnapped."

* * *

 ** _Author's comments: Ok, so first of all, I'd like to add this is like my first fanfic in what feels like 2 years. I had given up writing completely for reasons that don't need explained but I decided to try my hand once more. I plan to make this fic 3 chapters, but only if people think it's decent enough to continue. I'd like to write more, but I struggled a lot with just this first chapter.  
_**

 ** _All in all, I only pray it's in character._**

 ** _Please, for the love of Shinkane and Psycho Pass, leave a review and let me know your thoughts. I'll probably only continue this if I get at least five reviews. I need your thoughts._**


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